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MHC Campaign Tops $100 Million

With its public launch in October 2006, The Campaign for Mount Holyoke has reached one-third of its $300 million goal. As of the end of March, the College had raised $100,404,241 in gifts and pledges.

"The generosity of the alumnae and friends of the College has been remarkable," Mount Holyoke President Joanne V. Creighton said. "We deeply appreciate their support and commitment to the continuing excellence of Mount Holyoke College."

Recently, the College received word of a $5 million commitment from an anonymous donor for a new, environmentally friendly residence hall, now under construction. Other generous leadership gifts include a $5 million challenge from board of trustee chair and Campaign cochair Leslie Anne Miller '73 and her husband Richard Worley to establish an endowment to help to develop the College's leadership in environmental education and a $2.5 million Centers of Excellence challenge grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for which the College will raise $9 million in matching funds. The combined funds will support four new endowed faculty positions and provide endowed support for student internships. The funds will also help to underwrite the development of a new academic program designed to connect academic and experiential learning.

Early gifts and pledges also include a number of professorships, scholarships, international internships, and improvements to the College's athletic facilities. Gifts from College trustees total $20 million.

"Once again we see a level of participation that is truly impressive," campaign cochair and trustee Barbara McClearn Baumann '77 said. "To date, we've received gifts and commitments from 19,000 donors. We thank our alumnae and friends--they really appreciate the importance of sustaining the College's mission."

Launched in October 2006, The Campaign for Mount Holyoke has a number of priorities that are informed by the Plan for Mount Holyoke 2010, a comprehensive strategy developed under President Creighton for maintaining continued educational excellence at this leading liberal arts college in this era of global challenge.

The Campaign's top priority is support for the College's endowment--now at more than $500 million--to provide sustained support for faculty and student financial aid. Other priorities for the Campaign include supporting the operating budget through gifts to the Annual Fund, and funding a number of projects including a new residence hall--a green facility--and three new athletic facilities: a boathouse, outdoor track, and turf field. In fact, work on the field has begun. A complete breakout of the Campaign priorities is as follows: endowment goal, $175 million; Annual Fund goal for current operating use, $50 million; facilities goal, $25 million; and special projects and programs goal, $50 million.